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| FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS |
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| Q. My
child has a fear of trying things by himself. I am afraid
he is not going to learn how to do things for himself. How
can I help my child ? |
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A. You may envisage that your
child should do a particular task and when he does not
meet your expectations, you get frustrated. Your child
can sense your anxiety and frustration and feels the same.
Some children express their frustration by throwing tantrums,
whining, etc.
Sometimes a child's aesthetic sense tells him that grown
ups produce a better result. It seems logical to have
the adults to do the task, rather than trying to do it
himself. As a parent be sure you are not pushing too hard
or setting unrealistic standards. Do not buy toys that
are way beyond your child's ability. Challenge your child,
but do not pressurize him. Do not criticize him for failing
to perform. Constant censure can damage self-esteem, hurt
feelings and engender a fear of trying. When your child
feels more confident, he will start doing things for himself.
You can encourage his participation by :
| a. |
Asking his
opinion : Prompt your child in making a decision if
he is confused. Ask his opinion and get his advice
on whether he would like to do a particular task. |
| b. |
Give him
lessons : Your child may hesitate to try, since he
does not know how. Guide him how to go about the task. |
| c. |
Invite him
to help you : If you are solving a puzzle with him,
ask him to fit the final puzzle piece. If he resists,
do not push. Present a lot of opportunities for him
to try his hand in small ways that offer his success
and safety. |
| d. |
Praise him
for any contribution : Compliment and praise him for
any of his acts that will make him feel confident.
Voicing your appreciation of his efforts will boost
his ego and will encourage him to try harder next
time. |
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| Q. My
child drinks very little water, how do I make my child drink
more water ? |
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A.
Children become very thirsty only once their fluid reserves
are running low. It is the parents job to make sure that
their child drinks enough fluids to stay hydrated and
happy. Every drop counts !
Importance of Water
| a. |
Water
makes up between 55% to 65% of our body weight. The
loss of 10% of water results in serious consequences
like dehydration. |
| b. |
Water
helps to regulate body temperature. |
| c. |
It
helps in the transport of the products of digestion
to appropriate organs. |
| d. |
Water
is the major constituent of plasma and has a vital
solvent transport function carrying blood cells and
nutrients and maintaining normal blood volume. |
Sources
of Water
Juices, drinks and other beverages contain large amounts
of water, as do fruits, vegetables and other foods.
Schedule water breaks every 30 minutes or so. Make sure
your child gets enough fluids. If he resists water, give
him fluids in the form of juices. It is a very acceptable
drink as it usually contains vitamin C and certain minerals,
which is excellent for your toddler.
Offer some milk too. Milk is an important fluid as it
provides calcium, proteins, and vitamin B riboflavin.
Insist with your child to consume fluids, till it becomes
a habit. Drinking lots of water is good for the system.
There is usually no harm in taking in more and the excess
is gotten rid of by the kidneys quite promptly. |
| Q.
My baby keeps pulling at the ear. How do I know if he
has ear pain? |
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A. Babies are very susceptible
to ear infections because their eustachian tubes are
short and narrow. Most of them, eventually outgrow this
susceptibility.
Symptoms :
| 1.
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Ear
pain, which is worse at night, baby pulling at her
ears or holding them crying, or refuse to suck the
breast may indicate ear pain. |
| 2. |
Fever
which may be slight or high. |
| 3. |
Fatigue
and irritability. |
| 4. |
Nausea
or vomiting. |
| 5. |
Loss
of appetite. |
| 6. |
Occasionally
there may not be any symptoms at all. |
Complications that arise due
to ear pain :
| 1. |
Because
of the child's crying the pressure can burst the
eardrum, releasing pus into the ear canal, resulting
into Acute Otitis media. Treatment should be given
with antibiotics to prevent further damage. |
| 2. |
Hearing
loss - which is temporary, but can become permanent
if the condition persists for many months untreated. |
| 3. |
Mastoid
Infection. |
| 4. |
Meningitis
bacterimia, pneumonia. |
| 5. |
Brain
Abcess and Facial Paralysis. |
Season :
All the year round, but it is much more common in the
winter, and usually follows a cold or 'flu.
Prevention
:
There is no sure way to prevent infection, but the following
may reduce the risk of baby's falling victim :
| 1. |
Overall
good health through adequate nutrition, plenty of
rest and regular medical care. |
| 2. |
Breastfeeding
for atleast 3 months. |
| 3. |
An
upright feeding position, especially when a baby
has respiratory infection, or an elevated sleeping
position (putting pillows under the babies head
and of mattress) when the child has a cold. |
| 4. |
Decongestants
for children with colds or allergies, particularly
before an air flight.Make the baby suck on breast
or bottle during take off and landing, as most ear
problems occur then. |
| 5. |
Low
dose of antibiotics (as prescribed by your doctor)
for children with frequent ear infection. |
| 6.
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Smoke-free
living space. |
Chances of Recurrence :
Some babies may not have any episode of ear pain, and
some may have 1-2 episodes of pain with no repeats and
others may carry on the infection repeatedly into toddlerhood
and preschool years.
Diseases with similar symptoms
:
| 1. |
Any
foreign body in the ear may cause ear pain. |
| 2. |
Ear
pain is very commonly seen in swimmers. |
| 3. |
Any
respiratory infection can mimic a ear ache. |
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| Q. My
toddler insists on being carried, even though he can walk.
I am concerned if he is getting too dependent? |
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A. Walking is a novelty
for toddler, when he first puts one foot in front
of another. Every step he takes, deepens his tender feelings
of pride and accomplishment. Then the novelty wears off.
Walking then starts to be a responsibility - something
that was expected, and often required of him. True to
his two year old negativity, he began to respond
to parental pressure to perform with
refusals. "If they want me to walk" he may reason
"that's probably a good enough reason not to walk"
and this makes him cling to his parents to carry him.
Suggestions to make your toddler
back on his feet :
| 1. |
Make
the walk recreational : Divert the child's minds from
the task of walking by pointing out interesting sights
on the road, playing games ("lets see if we can
step over all the cracks") or singing songs. |
| 2. |
Appoint
him your assistant : Toddlers love to be helpers.
When you are walking to the shop, ask him to carry
the shopping list, and also give him a small light
bag of purchases on your way home, in order to make
him feel "big". |
| 3. |
Try
not to rush or push him : Never try to rush or push
your toddler as his walking strides are much smaller
than
yours. Give him enough time to walk in his own stride
pattern. However if he feels tired or goes limp and
tries to sit in the middle of pavement, then it is
advisable to pick him up and carry him. |
| 4. |
Praise
his efforts on two feet : After a walk, congratulate
him and tell him how grown up he is getting,and point
out that walking is one of the many fun things he
can do now, that the babes in the arm cannot. |
| 5. |
Do
no criticize his failures : Don't call him a baby
or fuel any possible existing jealousy by telling
him that
you cant carry him because you are pregnant or because
you have to carry the infant sibling. |
| 6.
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Make
a deal : If the walk is too long, then try cutting
a deal "you walk this street, I'll carry you
the next". Alternate until you are home free. |
| 7. |
Set
an active example : If everyone in the family walks
a lot, eventually your child will too especially if
you don't make an issue out of his reluctance now.
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| Q. My
child has a habit of hitting other children. How can I stop
this ? |
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A. Hitting is very common
at all ages, but it should never be encouraged but can
be stopped in the following ways :
| 1. |
Provide
loving, consistent and firm care to your
toddler. |
| 2. |
Make
sure that your toddler knows that hitting is not
in the rules for children. |
| 3. |
If
the hitting tends to become aggressive,
then the behaviour of the child
should be observed, and if necessary counselling
may be done. |
| 4. |
Try
to keep the child out of a situation,
where he tends to start hitting. |
| 5. |
Never
, under any circumstances , try to
hit your child to teach him a lesson. Some parents
do this to show the child "how it feels"
and it only encourages the child to think that hitting
is o.k. |
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